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Kuala Lumpur school fire kills students and teachers

At least 24 students and teachers have died in a fire at a religious school in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The fire at the Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The victims are thought to been trapped in their dormitory as the windows were barred with metal grills.

“It is one of the country’s worst fire disasters in the past 20 years,” Khirudin Drahman, director of the fire and rescue department, told AFP.

Initial counts put the death toll at 25, but police later revised that down by one.

They said the dead were 22 students – all boys between the age of 13 and 17 – and two staff members.

The blaze was reported at around 05:40 local time on Thursday morning (21:40 GMT Wednesday). According to the police it began in the sleeping quarters.

In Islamic tahfiz schools – where children study the Koran – students often live at the school.

Images and videos circulating online showed the entire upper room of the school ablaze.

“The building was surrounded by metal grills that could not be opened from the inside. The students, after realising the fire and heavy smoke, tried to escape through the window,” Fire and Rescue Department operations deputy director Soiman Jahid told reporters outside the school.

“Because of the grills though, they could not escape.”

Mr Jahid said police were still investigating what caused the fire but that it likely was caused by short circuit or a lit mosquito repellent coil.

A neighbour living next door to the school told the Reuters news agency they heard screams and saw the flames.

“The children were crying for help, but I couldn’t help them as the door was already on fire,” he said.